The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has partnered with De La Salle- College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) for a project that would help ensure a resilient higher education in the country.
CHED and DLS-CSB on Wednesday, July 7, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) and formally launched the Business Continuity Planning project for State Universities and Colleges or “BCP4SUC.” “The concept of Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is not a new concept,” Commission on Higher Education and UniFAST Board Chairman Popoy De Vera explained.
De Vera noted that BCP is “essentially a process where an organization does planning to create a prevention and recovery system from threats” such a natural disasters, cyber attacks, and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“It is really a plan or a planning system that will protect its assets, protect its personnel and make sure that they can function quickly even in the midst of a disaster and even after the disaster has started to subside,” De Vera added.
The partnership
DLS-CSB the implementing partner for the “BCP4SUC” project.
De Vera said that DLS-CSB was the most suitable partner “because at the height of the pandemic, Benilde proudly proclaimed to everyone that we will offer more than 20 degrees online showing its capacity to maximize technology in the learning system.” Benilde, De Vera added, is among the leading private universities that were able to continue their activities even in the worst of times.
“And so, I think it is only proper that Benilde will host the project and it is only proper that we continue with our spirit of bayanihan, of higher education institutions working together among themselves - the better ones or the more advanced ones and helping those who are less prepared - and of course, working with CHED,” he explained.
De Vera also thank all those that put this project together. “I look forward for the swift implementation of this project,” he added.
Meanwhile, DLS-CSB President Br. Edmundo Fernandez thanked De Vera for “trusting” the school on the project. “We look forward to innovating, collaborating and learning from our fellow leaders of higher education institutions,” he said.
The project
BCP4SUC Project Manager Gary Ador Dionisio explained that there are many threats and hazards in the society.
“Primarily, the purpose why we are espousing the idea of business continuity is to ensure that SUCs are able to discharge the essential functions as well as to ensure the safety and well-being of all stakeholders - from students, faculty staff, and administrators,” Dionisio, who is also the Dean of DLS-CSB School of Diplomacy and Governance, explained.
Overall, Dionisio said that the goal is to promote a resilient higher education which “responds quickly to emergencies” and “manages the risk of illness and injury and damages” and at the same time, “minimizes the impact of hazards from typhoons, earthquakes, floods, and viruses.”
Dionisio noted that the the success of the program “largely depends on a strong ICT program that we also would like to require to SUCs.” The BCP4SUC, he added, “basically supports the overall BCP of the SUC by ensuring that the required ICT resources can be recovered within agreed time frames.”
Under the BCP4SUC, SUCs would be taught how to write their own BCPs. They would also need to ensure that their BCPs will be accompanied by reliable ICT infrastructure.
Dionisio said that the program has three major components: awareness raising, capacity building, and digital content development. After the formal project launch, the virtual sessions for mentors and panelists will be held on July 15, 16 and July 22, 23.
After these, the training workshops proper with SUC representatives (8 sessions per SUC batch plus mentoring of 6-8 weeks) will take place before the paneling or final presentation of BCPs.
“In formulating BCP, there should be a clear understanding of what's really happening on the ground,” Dionisio said. “At the same time, looking at all the available resources that each universities and from there, we will help them to craft the BCP program,” he added.